Such a crusher is described in WO-97/15396-A1, which shows a crusher where the first crushing shell is attached to a gyrating vertical shaft, and where the thrust bearing supports this shaft.
Another example is illustrated in CA-1235679-A where a vertical shaft is fixed, and a crushing head, carrying the first shell, is arranged to gyrate around the shaft. A thrust bearing is arranged to support the crushing head on top of the shaft and includes both circular and radial lubrication channels. In both types of crushers, the thrust bearings are subjected to considerable forces and take up both gyratory and rotational movement.
One problem associated with both the above types of crushers is how to improve their reliability of operation. A malfunctioning crusher will not only imply costs of repair in the field, but also a considerable loss in terms of production time.